[COLOR=#]I wrote a song to meet the challenge of setting the words for a poem by walt whitman called "facing west".
FACING west, from California’s shores, Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,
I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar,
Look off the shores of my Western Sea—the circle almost circled;
For, starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere, From Asia—from the north
—from the God, the sage, and the hero,
From the south—from the flowery peninsulas, and the spice islands;
Long having wander’d since—round the earth having wander’d,
Now I face home again—very pleas’d and joyous;
(But where is what I started for, so long ago? And why is it yet unfound?)
After scoring the piece for piano and voice on Cubase- PDF here. Some sketches done in Notation Composer then exported to Sibelius for tidying up.
http://www.box.net/shared/83zpjejyte
I made a mock-up using the Gypsy violin to give an idea of the melody line and the sort of rubato and expression I was looking for.
http://www.box.net/shared/ob7l0zuc17
I was pleased that the professional soprano Jacqueline Pischorn plus a fine pianist performed the work last week.
http://www.box.net/shared/q89hgmr4y5gt22jk0fh8
Unfortunately I couldn't make the concert, so the recording was done by a friend just using just an an i-phone. Does anybody know if the recording could be improved by any sort of mastering etc, or is it not worth even bothering?
Please also comment on the piece, the performance or anything else you want to.
thanks